Jim Acosta Took Trump to Task on Immigrant Caravan. Then, His White House Press Pass Was Revoked

CNN's Jim Acosta attends the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts 2017 Noche de Gala at The Mayflower Hotel on September 11, 2017 in Washington, DC. Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images for National Hispanic Foundation For The Arts

On Wednesday night at about 7:46 p.m. ET, CNN reporter Jim Actosta learned the Trump Administration banned him from entering the White House. Acosta took to Twitter to share the news and film a member of the US Secret Service asking for his hard pass, which makes it easier for reporters who are frequently in and out of the White House. The revocation came after White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders accused Acosta of inappropriately “placing his hands” on an intern during a press conference the same day. Acosta, who has been backed up by others, has denied this is true, and in a thread, Sanders asserted that Trump “believes in a free press.”

President Trump believes in a free press and expects and welcomes tough questions of him and his Administration. We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern…

This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporter’s colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.

Contrary to CNN’s assertions there is no greater demonstration of the President’s support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters…

…over the course of 1.5 hours including several from the reporter in question. The fact that CNN is proud of the way their employee behaved is not only disgusting, it‘s an example of their outrageous disregard for everyone, including young women, who work in this Administration

During Wednesday’s press conference, Trump called on Acosta who asked the president to elaborate why he had used language that demonizes the immigrant caravan making its way through Mexico. The media has already accused Trump of using the caravan as a tool to invoke fear in his base, and therefore, push them to vote in the midterm elections. Before the election, the Trump Administration ran a racist ad about the caravan that even Fox News pulled from the air.

“As you know, Mr. President, the caravan is not an invasion,” Acosta said, according to CNN. “It’s a group of migrant moving up from Central America towards the border with the US–”

“Because I consider it an invasion,” Trump said. “You and I have a difference of opinion.”

“But do you think that you demonized immigrants?” Acosta responded.

“No, not at all,” Trump said. “I want them to come into the country. But they have to come in legally.” (Asylum seekers must reach the US border and apply for the protection.)

Acosta also took him to task on the ad that ran prior to the midterm elections. “They’re hundreds of miles away, though,” he said. “They’re hundreds and hundreds of miles away. That’s not an invasion.”

And that’s when Trump seemed to have enough. “You know what? I think you should,” he said, and pointed at Acosta. “Honestly, I think you should let me run the country. You run CNN. And if you did it well, your ratings would be much better…. OK, that’s enough.

U.S. President Donald Trump gets into an exchange with Jim Acosta of CNN after giving remarks a day after the midterm elections on November 7, 2018. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images

That’s when the White House staffer moved to take the mic from him, which Acosta held on to. He said “Pardon me, ma’am,” and tried to continue asking Trump questions. “If I can ask, on the Russia investigation, are you concerned that you may have indictments coming down–,” he said, before Trump cut him off.

“I am not concerned about anything with the Russian investigation because it is a hoax,” Trump replied. “That is enough, put down the mic.”

Trump has had a tumultuous relationship with the press. He has often called members of the media liars and described their work as “fake news.”

As the White House stands by its decision, other journalists have spoken out against Acosta. Here’s what they had to say.

1

News the White House pulled Jim @Acosta’s credentials is not an attack on one journalist but all of the press. There should be complete solidarity. This is a moment for any Republican who says they believe in the Constitution to stand up.

This is video of the White House intern attempting to wrench the mic away from @Acosta. He is not “placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job,” as @PressSec claimed. Suspending his pass over this is a blatant abuse of presidential power. pic.twitter.com/zSmIQF0xKv

I was seated next to ⁦@Acosta⁩ at today’s press conference and did not witness him “placing his hands” on the young intern, as the White House alleges. He held on to the microphone as she reached for it. The ⁦@Reuters⁩ pictures below depict what happened accurately. pic.twitter.com/nO68Hf4eQM

I sat next to Acosta at the press conference today. The White House intern came to take the microphone to the next reporter called on for a question, and Acosta, right or wrong, refused to give it to her when she reached out to grab it. https://t.co/ZHi7sbEKUf